Investment Analyst

ABOUT CLAY COVE CAPITAL

Clay Cove Capital is a real estate private equity firm that builds niche real estate platforms. We target categories with durable supply/demand dynamics, fragmented ownership, and high barriers to entry — where real estate and operations are deeply intertwined. By assembling institutional-quality portfolios in partnership with trusted operators, we capture both real estate income and platform value.

Drawing on decades of real estate investing experience and participation in transactions totaling over $50 billion, we source differentiated opportunities across the U.S. As a member of a small, senior team, you will play a direct role in the entrepreneurial process of scaling a real estate private equity firm.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Clay Cove Capital is hiring an Investment Analyst to support active underwriting, sourcing, and portfolio workstreams. This is a high-ownership seat on a lean team: you will work directly with senior investment professionals, see transactions end to end rather than a single slice of the process, and carry real responsibility from your first week.

We are equally focused on how the work gets done. The tooling available to a junior investment professional has changed materially over the past year, and we expect this seat to use it. Analysts here are expected to build leverage — automating repeatable work, compressing research cycles, and spending the recovered time on the work that requires judgment: understanding how a deal is structured, what drives returns, and where the risk actually sits. Candidates who treat AI as a serious professional instrument — with a clear-eyed view of where it adds value, where it fails, and when its output needs to be challenged — will stand out.

Start Date: Immediately
Experience: Recent graduates through two years of full-time experience
Process: Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, with interviews scheduled as candidates apply.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Financial Modeling & Valuation — Build and maintain financial models for real estate and operating company investments, applying cap rates, amortization schedules, financing structures, lease analysis, and other relevant assumptions.
• Asset-Level Underwriting — Underwrite lower middle-market investments, assessing fundamentals, market positioning, downside cases, and value-add opportunities.
• Investment & Portfolio Analysis — Analyze investments at both the asset and portfolio level, and support operating company analysis using enterprise valuation, working capital analysis, and related frameworks.
• Market & Competitive Research — Conduct detailed research covering comparable transactions, geographic markets, industry trends, ownership structures, and competitive landscapes.
• Due Diligence Execution — Support financial, operational, and asset-level diligence, including review of public records, zoning information, financial statements, operating metrics, and other transaction materials.
• Sourcing Support — Screen opportunities against the firm's investment thesis, build and maintain target databases, and help convert unstructured market information into an actionable pipeline.
• AI-Enabled Leverage — Use AI tools to accelerate research, screening, data extraction, review, and turn analyses into repeatable internal workflows. Contributions to our internal systems & infrastructure is expected.
• Investor & Partner Presentations — Develop investment presentations, pitch materials, and supporting analysis for investors, operating partners, and other stakeholders.
• Cross-Team Collaboration — Work closely with senior investment professionals and external advisors throughout underwriting, diligence, and execution.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics, Accounting, Real Estate, or a related field — or equivalent practical experience.

• 0-2 years of full-time experience. We will consider strong recent graduates with relevant internship experience in real estate, private equity, investment banking, or a comparable investment-oriented environment.

• Demonstrated financial modeling ability, including real estate cash flow projections, debt structures, scenario analysis, and return interpretation. Coursework, competition work, or personal models are acceptable evidence for candidates earlier in their careers.

• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel and the broader Microsoft Office Suite.

• Working fluency with modern AI tools applied to analytical work — and the judgment to verify outputs, recognize failure modes, and know when not to rely on them.

• Clear written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to manage multiple concurrent workstreams in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.

• Availability to start immediately and work in person from our Philadelphia office.

Preferred

• Experience with real estate platforms such as CoStar, Green Street, Placer.ai, or similar

• Exposure to niche, operationally intensive, or specialty real estate sectors.

• Demonstrated technical or systems-building ability — automating a workflow, building a database/dashboard, light scripting, or comparable evidence of building leverage vs. consuming 

• Prior experience in a small-team or entrepreneurial setting where scope was earned 

COMPANY VALUES

Forge Your Path — We believe in the power of individual initiative. Your growth and our firm's success are intertwined. Take risks, seize opportunities, and don't wait for permission to lead.

Stay Humble — True strength lies in openness to new ideas and respect for different viewpoints. Listen intently, learn constantly, and remember that mutual respect drives our collective success.

Be An Owner — Approach every challenge, big or small, with the dedication of an owner. Take pride in your work, own your decisions, and never settle for good enough. Accountability is everything.

Embrace Change — Question assumptions, challenge the status quo, and continuously expand your knowledge. Your relentless pursuit of what's next keeps us ahead in a fast-changing world.

Customer First — Our investors and operating partners are our customers. Anticipate their needs, align our interests, and consistently deliver outsize value. Their success defines our own.

TOTAL REWARDS

We offer a competitive, holistic package of total rewards designed to recognize your time, talents, and impact. Along with a competitive base salary, this role is eligible for an annual discretionary bonus. Eligible employees also have access to a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Professional Development: Up to $1,000 annually for approved development expenses

• Medical, Dental & Vision: Coverage including STD/LTD, in accordance with plan terms

• Paid Time Off: As governed by the Employee Handbook

• Exposure: Direct, sustained access to senior investment professionals and the full deal lifecycle

Shortlisted candidates will complete a technical underwriting assessment as part of the interview process. Clay Cove Capital is an equal opportunity employer.